Thursday, January 19, 2012

UFood Restaurant Group Inc. – UFFC

Good nutrition is more than just a concept at UFood Grill. It is an art, a science and a responsibility. We’re driven by our need to deliver smart, great tasting food choices – served fast and fresh.
UFood Grill CEO George Naddaff is known as the “guru of franchising” and founded Boston Chicken. President and COO Charlie Cocotas has decades of experience in leadership positions with brands like Boston Chicken, Dairy Queen, Church’s Fried Chicken and TCBY, among others. They both lead a seasoned management team of industry experts, chefs and nutritional advisors who know the importance of making healthy eating taste great.
UFood Grill is a thriving concept with many unique opportunities. In addition to traditional locations we continue to grow into airports, hospitals, health clubs and most recently, United States military bases. Originally created in 1999 as KnowFat Lowfat Gourmet Café® (located in Watertown, Massachusetts), the brand went through several years of concept optimization and improvements. In 2004, UFood Grill was born.
UFood Grill is a publically traded company under the stock symbol UFFC.

In 1997, a group of Bostonians had an innovative idea to address an emerging consumer need. Tim Kurtz and his wife-to-be, Joli, teamed with fitness center proprietor, Mike Gervais, to create Flex Appeal II, a high quality sports nutrition store. Quickly, the store developed a loyal cult following among fitness enthusiasts.
Soon after opening, the trio decided that their customers also wanted a restaurant where they could find mainstream food prepared in a healthy way. Tim had the perfect food expert in mind, his gym buddy Chris Pappas, who happened to be a chef. The four partners decided to expand their business and create a two-in-one concept that combined a healthy restaurant with an in-house nutrition center. In 1999 Lo Fat No Fat was born in Watertown, MA.
Five years of steady growth passed until one day, George Naddaff, franchising guru and founder of Boston Market, happened to be driving by the store. His curiosity was piqued by the long line curling out the door, so he pulled over to see what all the fuss was about. He was impressed not only by the number of customers and the taste of what he sampled, but also by the two-in-one restaurant plus nutrition center. This was something unlike anything he had ever seen!
In early 2004 George teamed with entrepreneurs Eric Spitz and Gary Jacobus, aquired Lo Fat No Fat, and founded KnowFat Franchise Company, an entity dedicated to growing a chain of better-for-you quick serve restaurant/retail outlets. As the concept grew it retained its loyal following and was loved by the press. Yet, they realized that the concept was not reaching many of the people to whom the offering would appeal. After careful research, the team changed the name to UFood Grill, emphasizing consumers’ various definitions of healthy eating and placing more of a spotlight on what had always been the most important thing— serving delicious food. Naddaff and his team are now opening UFood Grill locations throughout the U.S. with stores in airports, urban centers, and suburban storefronts. UFood Grill is committed to making it easy for people to eat smart.
UFood Restaurant Group is a publicly traded company (OTCBB: UFFC).

UFood Grill is where delicious meets nutritious, because we offer better-for-you food, fast. We know what you want…healthy comfort food, ready when you are. And that’s what you’ll find at UFood Grill.
It’s food you know and love, cooked in a healthier way. Burgers, fries, sirloin tips, wraps, salads and paninis. All baked, steamed, or grilled, but never, ever fried. We use natural and organic ingredients whenever possible as well as whole grains, light cheeses and dressings. It’s good to know our produce is fresh, our steak tips are grass-fed, and our burgers are 100% USDA lean. And it’s great to know you can choose from a wide variety of menu items that include vegetarian, reduced sodium and fat, gluten free, low calorie and low carb options.

Our mission at UFood Grill is to provide great tasting, better-for-you options for people who want good food, fast.
There’s a growing health crisis in this country. Obesity and heart disease have reached epidemic proportions. The need for better nutrition is all over the media and supported by government and community leaders. Today, smart consumers are beginning to look for more. More taste from healthier alternatives – in their homes, in their schools and on-the-run. It’s the beginning of a food revolution, and UFood Grill is leading the way.

Security Details

UFood Restaurant Group, Inc. is a fully reporting SEC company, publicly traded on the OTC Market under the symbol, “UFFC”, and within the OTCQB market tier. As such, Business, operational and financial information on UFFCis fully transparent and available to public view.

Visit http://www.otcmarkets.com/stock/UFFC/quote for more information.
On December 7, 2011, the Audit Committee of the Board of Directors of UFood Restaurant Group, Inc. (the “Company”) approved the engagement of Grant Thornton LLP (“Grant Thornton”) as the Company’s new independent registered public accounting firm. CCR LLP (“CCR”) the Company’s former independent registered public accounting firm resigned as the Company’s independent registered public accounting firm on December 2, 2011. This change was a result of Grant Thornton’s acquisition of CCR on December 1, 2011.
misc. info

George Naddaff is considered by many to be the “Guru of Franchising”. He developed Boston Chicken/Boston Market into a national franchise brand and in 1992 sold it to a group of Blockbuster Video executives. In 1993 he shared in its record-setting IPO (143% first-day increase). Naddaff has founded and/or been significantly involved with several other successful concepts including: Mulberry Child Care Centers, which had over 90 company-owned childcare centers when it was sold to KinderCare; Sylvan Learning Centers, the nation’s leading after-school learning facilities; Ranch*1, a New York-based chain of grilled chicken sandwich restaurants; Living and Learning Schools, which operated more than 50 upscale childcare facilities and was sold to KinderCare; VR Business Brokers, the nation’s largest business brokerage franchise with over 350 offices, which was acquired in 1986 by Christies, London. Naddaff began his career in food service when he co-founded International Foods, which operated 19 KFC franchises in the Boston area and was sold in 1970.

Charlie Cocotas — President and Chief Operating Officer

Charlie Cocotas is a restaurant industry icon and has had a distinguished career in foodservice. He served with International Dairy Queen, a company with 4,000 units, where he was Executive Vice President in charge of its Golden Skillet chain. He joined George Naddaff in the early days of Boston Chicken as President and Chief Operating Officer and helped Mr. Naddaff launch the brand that is now Boston Market into a nationwide chain. In addition, Mr. Cocotas served as the President and CEO of TCBY systems where he helped turn around the troubled 2,000-store chain. He also served as Chief Operating Officer as part of a turnaround team for the 1,500-unit Church’s Fried Chicken chain. As Chairman of the Board and CEO of Best Friends Pet Care, Inc., Mr. Cocotas raised more than $100 million in capital to grow the chain of upscale pet grooming facilities. Mr. Cocotas earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from Northeastern University.

Tom Mackey – Senior Vice President, Operations

Tom Mackey has spent his entire career in the food and restaurant industry. Prior to joining the KnowFat! team, Mackey was president and chief operating officer of LoFat KnowFat where he oversaw all of the company’s operations. Prior to joining LFKF, he was the vice president of new growth for Metromedia Restaurant Group, parent of Bennigan’s, Steak & Ale, Ponderosa, Bonanza, and several other casual dining restaurant concepts. Before joining MRG, Mackey held various senior management positions including vice president of franchising within American Hospitality Concepts Incorporated (parent of Ground Round, Tin Alley Grill, et al.). He is a certified “Serve-Safe” instructor and has served as director of the Massachusetts Restaurant Association. Mackey holds a B.S. in Hotel, Restaurant and Travel from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst.

Irma Norton – CFO

Irma Norton is an operations-oriented financial executive with over 15 years experience with businesses ranging from start-ups to large multinational companies. Most recently, Norton was the controller for Handmade Bow Company, a privately held consumer products company. Prior to that position, Norton was the CFO for the Dunkin’ Donuts master franchisee in Mexico. In her five year tenure with Dunkin’ Donuts, she was instrumental in growing the chain from zero to 100 stores in Guadalajara, Monterrey and Tijuana. She also was a leader in the start-up of La Fabrica, a chain of convenience stores in Mexico owned by Minsa, a large publicly held flour processing company. Norton holds a B.A. degree in Accounting from the University of Guadalajara in Mexico and is a graduate of the distinguished Executive Management Program of ITAM in Mexico City.

Pat Chiacchia – Vice President, Real Estate

Patrick Chiacchia has over 30 years of real estate development experience including several national multi-unit rollouts. He specializes in precise market planning for corporate and franchise territories, greenfield development, business acquisitions, owner-financed acquisitions, leases, 1031′s, and ground leases. Earlier in his career, Mr. Chiacchia served as the Director of Real Estate for Wienerwald GMBH, the largest chain of restaurants in Europe. He then served alongside UFood’s George Naddaff and Charles Cocotas as Boston Chicken’s Director of Real Estate. He later became Vice President of Real Estate in the Northeast Quadrant for Boston Market. He also worked with Mr. Cocotas as Vice President of Development for Best Friends Pet Resorts and Salons. For the past eight years Mr. Chiacchia has assisted public companies and start-up companies in developing their real estate departments and strategies, including Microsoft, Unilever USA, Wingstop, iFLOOR, and Rapido Rabbit Car Washes.

Walter Pomerleau – Vice President of Franchise Operations

Walter Pomerleau has been in the restaurant industry for 25 years. After graduating from UMass Amherst, Walter began his hospitality career with Ground Round Restaurants/American Hospitality, Inc.. He held various positions within multi-unit operations management for Ground Round where he won numerous achievement awards. Walter joined the UFood Grill Operations Team in 2005 and now serves as the Vice President of Franchising and Franchise Operations while also assisting with IT, Marketing, Training and Operations.